More on Black Friday

Retail Riot! 9 of TV’s best Black Friday themed episodes

The best things in life are free…

If, like mine, your bank balance is already suffering from succumbing to Black Friday deals, you’ll be looking for something to do for free on this biggest retail day of the year. So why not indulge in one of life’s simplest pleasures, television, by revisiting some of these ‘retail riot’ themed episodes from our favourite shows? We guarantee it’ll be way more rewarding than joining the queues on Oxford Street today.

South Park: “Black Friday”

Always a go-to for its on-point social commentary, South Park‘s 244th episode perfectly captures the commercial chaos of Black Friday, and how a good deal can bring out the worst in all of us. Stan’s dad Randy even goes as far as to take a temp job as a mall security guard to gain advantage over his fellow shoppers. That’s some dedication.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S:“The One with the Cheap Wedding Dress”

Intent on buying her dream wedding dress at a discount, Monica ropes Phoebe and Rachel into a bargain bonanza, where dress-tugging and blackmailing between Monica and fellow bride-to-be Megan ensues. We especially adore the girls’ use of whistles to communicate with one another across the store, and Rachel’s weak stomach for the ruthless bargain hunters. Oh how I wish I had some female friends…

Are We There Yet?: “Black Friday”

This episode of the tragically underrated TV adaptation of Are We There Yet? encapulates the interpersonal interactions of the iconic Black Friday queue. Featuring Gigi’s priceless rant: “Isn’t this a ‘black’ sale? I’m black! I mean come on, we have waited years to have a sale named after our people!”.

Jane the Virgin: “Chapter Twenty-Nine”

Trust the Villanueva women to take Black Friday very, very seriously. Of course, these bargain-hungry ladies shop by a strict set of rules, which Black Friday virgin Rafael shall have to observe if he’s going to participate in the family tradition.

Lie To Me: “Black Friday”

Taking a turn for the more serious now, Eli and Ria investigate a fatal trampling incident at an electronics store in this episode of Lie to Me. This kind of story is no morbid invention from the twisted minds of screenwriters, though. In fact, the website BlackFridayDeathCount.com (yes, it’s an actual site) reports that 7 deaths and 98 injuries have occurred to date as a result of Black Friday.

Life: “Black Friday”

In yet another sombre Black Friday themed procedural episode, Charlie and Dani investigate the death of a man killed in America’s largest shopping mall, whose body mysteriously disappears. The drama doesn’t stop there though, as searching the mall leads the duo to discover two teenage siblings who’ve been living there for over a year (taking camping out for the sales a bit too seriously, perhaps?), as well as a lucrative scam masterminded by the mall’s employees. Just a typical day at the mall!

Teen Titans Go!: “Black Friday”

Even the young’ns are getting totally into the Black Friday scrum, according to Teen Titans Go!. After being delivered a Mean Girls-esque ‘you can’t queue with us’ by the gang, Starfire is visited by three ghosts who show her the true meaning of Black Friday. Deep.

Chuck: “Chuck versus the Nemesis”

We’ve seen plenty about the shoppers, but what about the real heroes of this insane holiday tradition; the people working in retail? Nobody showcases the secret lives of sales assistants quite like Chuck, and the Nerd Herd totally has it down (for the most part) on this ‘single most important day of the year’.

Scream Queens

Airing next Tuesday December 1st, this Black Friday themed penultimate episode of Ryan Murphy’s Glee/American Horror Story bastard child is certainly one we’re looking forward to. With the tagline “Shop til you drop… dead”, the episode promises a sinister shopping spree for the Chanels, who step into the creepiest thing one could possibly encounter on Black Friday: an empty mall.